Newsbeat

November 6, 2017

Garrett College Reminds Students and Parents of Financial Aid Processes

Plans Financial Aid Night

The U.S. Department of Education has made a few changes over the past two years that affect the method and the timing of the financial aid application process.

The two most important changes are the availability of the application (FAFSA) on or after October 1st and the reporting of the prior, prior year income.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2018-19 school year will be based on 2016 income. Most applicants will be able to use the IRS retrieval tool as it is now available.

"Although, the State of Maryland has not changed its deadlines, early applications are always better," stated Cissy VanSickle, Director of Student Financial Aid at Garrett College. "Students and parents should also check with the school for which they are applying for admission to see if the school or schools have early deadlines for completing the FAFSA."

As a reminder, the FAFSA can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Both the student and at least one parent will need an FSAID to submit the FAFSA. One can setup their FSAID ahead of time or at the same time he or she is completing the FAFSA at www.fsaid.ed.gov.

Any student who wants to be considered for Maryland scholarships should create an account with the Maryland Higher Education Commission by going to www.mdcaps.mhec.state.md.us. Students planning to attend Garrett College should apply for the Garrett County Scholarship Program and the Garrett College Foundation Scholarships.

Applications for both of these scholarships are available in the guidance offices at Southern and Northern High School and on the financial aid section of the GC website, which also includes additional scholarship links and resources that are available to students. Those who are considering applications for foundation or other private scholarships, are highly encouraged to develop an essay, mapping out his or her educational goals and plans.

The Financial Aid Office at Garrett College is available Monday through Friday to help with the FAFSA process from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A student does not need to be attending Garrett to receive assistance.

A FAFSA night has been planned for December 18th from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the College’s McHenry campus to assist parents and students with the process. Computers will be available to help complete the process. The FAFSA night is open to anyone, regardless of which college he or she is considering attending. The process is the same for all schools, and a student may list up to 10 schools to receive their information once he or she submits the FAFSA.

For additional information on how to submit the FAFSA, or the upcoming FAFSA night, persons may contact the Garrett College Financial Aid Office at 301-387-3080.